Socket construction



J. HOHL SOCKET CONSTRUCTION Filed April 2g, 1921 Feb. 7, 1928.

A TTORN YJ Patented Feb. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES y, 4Las-ases PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HOHL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORVTO MOLDED SOCKET CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOCKET CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed April 22, 1'921.

My invention relates particularly to an electric lamp socket.

The main object is to provide a socket having its shell or outer portion formed of insulating material.

Another object is to construct a device of this character which may be readily wired andl assembled.

In its preferred form the socket comprises body and cap portions formed of insulating material with automatically interlocking portions which also serve as electrical connections. One member serves to carry the switch and lamp, and the other member receives the ends of the conductor.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view on the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 of a lamp socket and switch construction embodying my invention. 4

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionalview and plan on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an interior view of the cap member and its terminals.

Fig. 4 is a. vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 1e-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing one of the cap terminals and the interlocking connection with the body part.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one method of mounting one of the circuit terminals.

The body 10 and cap 11 are formed of any suitable molded insulation. The body 10 has a recess containing the screw shell 12 which is preferably molded in place, thus reinforcing the neck of the body and enabling it to be made quite thin. The center lamp contact 13 may be of any suitable type.

The construction may contain a switch of any suitable construction, for instance of the conventional snap switch type having spring contacts 14 and 15 and a rotatable switch member 16 on a spindle 17 mounted in a yoke 18 and secured to the body by a screw 19 which also holds in place the center con tact 13 and the contact 15.

The ca and body are preferably secured together y metallic 'interlocking members carried by the cap and body respectively. Each interlocking member consists of two parts which have'yielding engagement with each other. The parts 2O and 21 are secured to the body 10 by screws 22 and 23 which pass through longitudinal holes in the body, the screw 22 affording electrical connection Serial No. 463,590.

between the screw shell 12 and the inter locklng part 20. The parts 24 and 25 are carried by the cap and interlock respectively with the parts 20 and/21. One or both of the cap locks may have a shoulder portion 26 for providing a more secure connection when the parts are. united. By tapering the ends as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, assembly is facilitated. To anchor the locking members to the cap, I prefer to provide members such as 27 embedded in the insulating material and provided with necks 28 extending through holes in the locking member. These necks may be spun or riveted at 28. The binding screw 29 may'be screwed into the member 27 for fastening the end of the conductor which passes through the central cord opening 30. Anadditional guide or positioning member 31 may be embedded in the cap and provided with a neck 32 extending through the foot of one of the locking members and riveted over, if desired. Preferably, I provide lugs or abutments 33 in the cap to receive the anchoring members. The flange 34 of the cap preferably surrounds the edge of the body so as to position the parts when they are being Yassembled and provide a tightjoint.

To wire the device the cap is removed by rotating it anticlockwise with relation to the base until the points of the cap locking members are disengaged from the hooks of the body locking members.' The conductor or cord may then be inserted through the opening 30 and the ends secured to the circuit terminal parts of the locking members in the cap. The cap is then'replaced in the body in the reversed manner which automatically establishes the circuit relation to the lamp terminals in the body in case there is no switch. Where a switch 1s employed as herein shown, it will be seen that one side of the circuitis connected through members 24.- and 20 and screw 22 to the screw shell 12, whereas the other side of the circuit is connected through the members 25 and 21 to the switch contact 14.

I claim:

1. In a lamp socket, a screw shell, an insulating body molded thereon and having a. relatively thin wall 'surrounding the shell, oppositely disposed hooks having feet set in countersinks in the upper face of said body and inwardly extending upper ends, a center lamp contact at the inner end of said shell,

connections between said locking hooks and the shell and center contact respectively, one of said connections having a. switchv therein, a cap formed of molded insulating material and having a center cord opening at one end and a socket body receiving groove at the opposite end and two hook members secured within saidcap having binding screws for the circuit wires and having circumferentially extending hook portions entirely housed within said cap member onopposite sides of the central cord opening to permit connection with the hooks projecting from the body but to prevent accidental Contact with live parts when the body is detached.

2. In a lam socket, a one-piece molded insulating bo y, a screw shell and center` lamp contact in one end thereof and a recess in the opposite end, oppositely disposed hooks having feet secured in the sides of 4:said recess and having inwardly extending tips, a center switch contact at the inner end of said recess, a connecting screw between one of said locking hooks and said screw shell, a connection between said center lamp contact and said switch contact, a contact spring connected to the other hook, a rotatable switch member between said contact spring and said center switch contact, a cap formed of molded insulating material and having a cord-opening at one end and a socket-body receivino' member at'the opposite end, and two Tiook members secured within said cap having terminals for circuit wires and having circumferentially extending hook portions housed within said cap member on opposite sides of the cord opening to permit connection with the hooks pro jecting from the body but to prevent accidental contact with live parts when thebody is detached.

i JOHN HOI-IL. 

